Zephyr: The Elemental Clans

117 - In Your Hands

Catherine Zephyr - POV;

Xyder and his opponent lay motionlessly where they fell, both equally matched in physical strength, physical martial art prowess and now matched in exhaustion as well. I remained on the sidelines where the audience had gathered while Evelynn and Dagan rushed to tend to Xyder himself.

"Aww man. Is that all? I thought they'd go much harder than that. I'm a girl and I could probably do more," the brown haired, tomboyish Terra Heir of Geodus, Alexandra, remarked.

"When you say things like that and with you acting how you do, I have to question if you really are a girl at all," the femanine, petite Vita Heir of Geodus, Damia, sighed.

"What do you mean? My boobs are ten times bigger than yours so what does that make you?" Alexandra teased her sister.

"Sh-shut up Alex!" the insulted girl fumed.

"Tch. I knew this was a farce. A battle without powers? What nonsense. Vessels are meant to dominate with their elements," Zacharias Fenix, Regulus Fenix' son, snarled some distance away as he looked down on the fallen combatants.

"Don't be so harsh. Don't you know? The Atmos boy has no elemental power. He's an empty vessel!" Zacharias' female companion snickered.

"Hah! What a failure. He should go kill himself. He's just dead weight," Zacharias snickered.

It seemed that the words reached Ryder's ears as the boy flinched slightly.

"And so the weak fall. A boring, lame showing from feeble, powerless heirs," a hooded boy, the leader of Blaze's Team Omega, cackled along with his team mates.

The teams of Soleis, Glacia and Eclipse all looked on in silence. Their leaders, the heirs of their respective clans, seemed deep in thought however.

"I didn't expect any more. What a fool you are. You're a disgrace to our family," a young, green haired girl retorted as she walked away with a couple of vessels close behind her. I recognised them as four members of Atmos' teams and the girl was none other than 'Nu A', the leader of Atmos Team Nu.

Once more, Ryder's body tensed, reacting to the harsh criticisms.

"Hey, why don't you shut your annoying trap!" a sudden shout blared. This caught the attention of many of the onlookers. I myself turned to find none other than the hot-blooded Regulus Heir Indira Astra staring daggers into 'Nu A'.

"And who do you think you are to talk to me like that, you sparkling dog?" Nu A shot back.

"Someone a billion times better than you can ever be. That's who," Indira growled, "People like you who can tarnish their own family and blood to make themselves feel better are the scum of this world!"

"What's the matter princess? No need to get all feisty. Or did you and daddy fall out so the family thing strikes a sore spot?" Zacharias heckled as he approached the commotion.

"You need to watch your words Zacharias. If you treasure your tongue and your manhood, I suggest that you back off," Aquarius Neptulus threathened, coming to Indira's aid.

"And why should they? They've spoken the truth."

With those words, Severin Atmos appeared on the scene, a large cigar nestled between his teeth and his extremely bulky, muscular torso practically tearing through the seams of his t-shirt.

"Regulus Atmos?" Aquarius gasped.

"Father?" Nu A called out, surprised.

"You have done no wrong, Aella, my daughter," Regulus Atmos muttered, "Tell me Grisha's spawn, how is Aella wrong to say that her brother is a failure and a disgrace. He was meant to inherit the throne of Atmos and yet he is but a failed Partial Vessel. His power over the wind may as well be inexistent. He brings shame to the Atmos name. If he really cared he would have seen to it that he was dead before it could come out that he was so weak. He's worthless. All his existence does is ruin the reputation of the late Regulus Skye Atmos... my wife and his mother!"